


The Arrogance of Man

by SwimmingBird



Series: Phthora, Epithumia, Agápe, Éros [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Exchangelock AU Exchange 2014, M/M, WIP, there may be some twists and turns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 04:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2375090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwimmingBird/pseuds/SwimmingBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is part 1 of 3. I couldn't decide which of these plot-lines to write, so I've decided to write all three.<br/>Here's the original prompt:<br/>"Sherlock could speak to the dead, and John was a victim of the cabbies and helped Sherlock solve the murders and he decided to hang around with Sherlock and Sherlock started to fall in love with John and decided he wanted to join John?"<br/>I've taken liberties with this prompt. I hope you like it.</p><p>The ever wonderful The_Silent_Writer is the person to thank for the beta-ing!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arrogance of Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SweetDreams828](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetDreams828/gifts).



> The World of Sherlock Holmes in all its various variations, does not belong to me. This is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, Gatiss's, and Moffat's sandbox, I'm just playing in it.

* * *

 

_"The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day"_

_Isaiah 2:17_

* * *

 

The air was heavy with the scent of burnt hair and flesh. The boy sat on the floor in horror of the sight before him.

 _It worked._ The boy tried to collect his thoughts.

 A man stood before him in the pentagram he drew on the floor. The man— _no_ — the _Demon’s_ figure was hard to make out.

“Quite the set-up you have here” the Demon gestured to the vaguely satanic materials in the dark and dank room “I haven’t been summoned in quite a while.”

The Demon continued walking towards the boy where he was sprawled on the floor. “You’re awfully young to be dabbling in Demonic summoning. That you managed to—" the Demon was stopped by a force he did not see when he first surveyed the room. “A salt circle? Really?” The Demon sounded mildly amused, “And here I thought we were here for a friendly chat.”

The boy found his courage to speak “Stay— Stay back. I’m-I’m warning you—”

“Of what?” The Demon bit back, the flash of anger dissipated as soon as it appeared, “Come now, if you really wanted me to stay away, you wouldn’t have summoned me here.”

The boy stared the Demon down, “I know how these things work.”

“What things—oh yes, I can see it in your eyes, you want to make a deal … annnnd let me guess, it’s in exchange for my freedom.”

“Yes! And-and you have to follow my commands.”

“Hmmmm…” The man shaped figure tilted what appeared to be his head to the side, as if to consider the boy’s words. “Well… If I am to broker a deal, I need to know with whom I have the pleasure of doing business.” The dark figure’s mouth opened to reveal a menacing and toothy smile, the teeth more like fangs than teeth of human make.

“No, you don’t!” the boy pushed himself off of the floor, brushing the dust off of his school uniform as he rose.

The figure snarled.

“All the literature indicates that naming is not necessary for the receiver of wishes. I am open to other terms of a contract.” The boy continued to straighten his jacket and collar, sensing that he had the upper hand on the Demon he called upon.

“What makes you so certain that I NEED to grant you anything, Boy? In what position are you to make a deal with me without a name?”

“I named you when I summoned you; I made the proper sacrifice, and as insurance, trapped you in salt. I can leave you here, trapped, or we can make a deal as planned.”

The Demon heaved a heavy sigh “Very well. Let’s hear your commands, Boy.”

The boy had prepared words to speak to the Demon before the summoning, he knew phrasing was essential to Demon dealing in theory but in face of the beast, he had trouble maintaining his usual cool demeanor.

“I want power” he blurted out.

“Want to be more _specific_?”

All his careful planning vanished from sight “I want—I want to have power and influence over people. I want to be a force to be reckoned with, I want to be efficient in my use of knowledge. I want the skills and connections to—”

“Slow down a bit, boy. This is going to take more than a goat, salt line or not.” The Demon paused before continuing “I’ll need more collateral, and I have my own terms.”

“It was a goat borne on the Spring Equinox, of pure white fur, something not easily located, and it should be enough for what I wish… What are your terms, Demon?”

“Oh, the normal, usual things, I assure you. You are placed on a gag order upon completion of this deal, you cannot mention our deal to anyone, and you cannot interfere with any future dealings on my part with anyone. And, you cannot in any form or any way hint or say or write or share my name with anyone. You will be powerless against me."

“That’s it? And I’ll get what I want?”

The Demon smiled again, “No, actually, I’ll require a sacrifice yet to be named at a future time from you… and… your name.”

“The books say—”

“Books don’t always get things right, do they?”

The boy remained silent.

“Now, I can say with some certainty that what I take from you won’t physically hurt you at all. It may be your prized dog, your first born child, the usual fare, and those can be easily avoided by not having either. Continue being what I can see in your eyes as a cold-hearted child and I imagine you’ll be fine. A name is needed or else this has been a waste of our time and an exercise in futility.”

The boy was still standing, but he was unsteady. He considered the terms of the deal while looking at the Demon trying to make sense of his ever-shifting form. The boy straightened himself and projected a cool composure he did not feel. He straightened his school tie and walked the floor littered with books and sacrificial blood. The boy walked over to the salt line where the Demon was contained.

“You’ll keep your word?”

“Yes, of course. I am bound to the contract made. To sweeten the deal I’ll let you live as long as you are able without interference instead of collecting your soul in thirty years’ time, how does that sound? I just need your name.”

The boy extended his hand over the salt line to meet the Demon’s.

“I, Mycroft Holmes, do accept the terms of the contract.”

The Demon tightly grasped the boy’s hand and squeezed enough to strain the delicate bones in his hand and pulled the boy foreword, causing the boy to offset his balance and break the salt-line with a misplaced foot. The demon was free.

The demon spoke softly, menacingly into the boy’s ear, so close that the boy felt the demon’s breath on his face and smelt the cloying scent of decay. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mycroft Holmes. A deal has been struck. May you live to regret it.”

Then, in a burst of flame, the demon was gone, as were all the materials from the summoning. The room was in perfect order, as if nothing had occurred.

Young Mycroft Holmes hoped that whatever the future sacrifice was, it could be avoided. He did not care about things or people in any fashion whatsoever.

After all, caring is not an advantage.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please please please, leave comments below. I would love input and crit for this.  
> Thank you!


End file.
